Friday, September 28, 2012

Coming from north of India , could never imagine okra in any form but crispy , that's how my Mum always made it. Later as I traveled , I did sometimes see okra in gravy but never had the courage to taste it.

In Delhi friends often used to meet for potluck dinners. For one such dinner one of my friends made veg. biryani and Okra in gravy. I didn't hesitate to taste it coz I trusted my friend's culinary expertise. You will not believe me that Okra in gravy was delicious. Now my mission was to make it at home . Armed with the recipe, very confidently I tried it and what a disaster it was. That put a full stop to my tryst with Okra in gravy.

Many years later while making Sprouted Biryani I was wondering what to pair it with. I remembered my earlier disaster, but having matured as a cook ,I decided to tackle it all over again and am proud to say I could create a dish as tasty as my friend's .

I dedicate it to my friend. Rashmi , this one is for you.

Ingredients : Serves 4

Okra.

250 gms

Oil.
Asafoetida

3tbspa pinch

Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp

Whole red chilly.

6

Curry leaves.

20

Onion ( finely chopped). Garlic crushed

1/2 cup1 1/2 tsp

Homemade tomato purée Ginger paste

1 1/2cup check notes below

1 tsp

Red chilly pd.

1 tsp

Turmeric pd.

1/4 tsp

Coriander pd.

1 tsp

Salt.

To taste

Gram flour.

2 tsp

Sugar.

1/2 tsp

Water

3/4 to 1 cup

Oil

for frying

Chopped coriander

1tbsp

Method:

Wash okra and lay it on a kitchen towel to dry.

When completely dry , cut it into 3 " pieces and then vertically into half.

With festive season
round the corner, I am on the lookout for new recipes which served to guests at home and can also be used for gifting friends and family.I
have been making chocolate walnut fudge ( not the regular soft one) . This time I have
tweaked it a little to create these little wonders. Basic ingredients :
chocolate, Marie biscuit, condensed milk , are used in both the
recipes.For mixed dried fruits : you can use ginger peel, citrus peel,
dried cranberries, raisins,sultanas,and dates.Mixed nuts : walnuts, cashew,
almonds, pistachio , hazelnuts

This picture
doesn't show my little wonders rolled in pistachio pd coz at that time I didn't
have pistachio pd. but you go ahead and do it.Ingredients : gives 25 -
30 wonders.

Butter (
unsalted )

40 gms.

Pure vanilla extract.

1tsp

Semisweet chocolate.

100 gms

Icing sugar

50 gms

Marie biscuits

100 gms

Mixed dried fruits.

100 gms

Mixed Nuts.

100 gms

Irish Cream Baileys

50 ml

Condensed milk

50 ml.

Chilly flakes

1/4 cup

Pistachio pd

1/4 cup

Cashew pd.

14 cup

Method

Crush Marie biscuits into small
pieces.

Chop all nuts and dried fruits into small pieces. Add 2 tbsp of
baileys to these and mix well.

Roll one third of these ball
in chilly flakes, one third in pistachio pd, and one third in cashew nut
pd.

Keep them refrigerated.

While serving arrange
alternately.

* double boiler : take water in a pan. Put it to boil.
Take chocolate and butter in a pan that fits on this pan. Chocolate and butter
mixture will melt from indirect heat. Entire cooking in this recipe has to be
done on double boiler.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Come September, starts the
season of festivals in most houses and we all welcome lord Ganesh to our homes. Folks across various states observe the festival
of Ganesh Chaturthi for different number of days , ranging from 1 day to 10
days. We celebrate Lord Ganesh's visit to our home for five days. During these five days I try to make a new
sweet every day, and did you know lord Ganesh has sweet tooth like most of us. Today I made Peanut Chikki. It is very quick and easy to make . Barely takes ten minutes if peanuts are already roasted and skinned.

Add jaggery to it . Keep stirring till it
starts leaving the sides of the wok. Will hardly take a minute.

To check if
it's ready, drop a little in that bowl of water. Gather it and make a ball and
throw it on the counter top, if a sharp sound comes it is ready else stir it for
a couple of seconds more and repeat the test again.

* Once jaggery is ready,
add peanuts and mix quickly and pour it on the greased counter top.

Very
quickly roll it out as thin as you can with the rolling pin.

Use a sharp
knife to cut it into squares.

Store in an air- tight container once
completely cool.

*. Once jaggery is ready you have to act very quickly
else you'll end up with a lump.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Savory Muffins I had tasted savory muffins in
2005 when I was visiting New Zealand. I found them to be not only tasty but
also intriguing. By then I had not started baking muffins and also my baking
skills were basic. I thought once or twice how they could be made but then left
it at that.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The other day I was
watching this cookery show on TV. The hostess prepared Chilli Corn Carne. That gave me the idea to make Veg
version of it or rather make it without the meat coz. it contained lot of veg
stuff besides meat. So I was like let me try it withou meat. Believe me it was
delicious.

Another reason was that she served it with Foccaccia . I have
not mentioned in my previous post that one of the reasons for not trying out
Foccaccia for so long was that I didn't know what to pair it with. I am so glad I
tried both of them together and that day we had an unbelievable dinner at home.
Both my hubby and my son gorged on it.

I love tea cakes - Cakes especially tea cakes are everyone's favourite at home. Generally
I bake dark chocolate cake as my son just loves them . Today I tried to break
free of chocolate but landed up with coffee. I chanced upon this recipe at "all
recipes.com". I ve tweaked it a little to suit my
taste.

Ingredients :

Flour.

1 3/4 cup

baking
powder

1 1/2tsp

salt

1/2 tsp

Butter

1/4 cup ( 55 gms ) unsalted*

Oil.

1/3 cup ( 60 gms)

sugar.

3/4. fine granulated

eggs

3

milk

1/2 cup

vanilla essence

2 tsp

instant
coffee granules

4 tsp

water

2 tbsp ( boiling )

Walnuts.

1/2 cup chopped into bits (optional)

Flour.

1 tbsp.

Note : if using salted butter omit
salt, like I did. I love walnuts in my cakes so couldn't resist using them in
this cake too , although the original did not have it.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Dal Makhani has acquired a cult status. It is the heart of most dinner parties. Everyone has their take on it. Over the years I have also learnt through trials and tribulations to make my perfect Dal Makhani. All my friends and their kids ( all hardcore non vegetarians ) simply adore this preparation of mine. My son is just crazy about it.I personally like Dal Makhani a day old, so I always make it extra so that all of us can gorge on it the next day.

Oops forgot to swirl the cream on it before taking this picture

Ingredients :

Whole black urad dal.

1/2 cup

Rajma ( kidney beans).

1tbsp less than 1/4 cup

Water

3 cups

Oil. Butter

2tbsp2+1 tbsp

Onion.

1/4 cup chopped finely

Tomato Green Chilly

1/3 cup grated1 finely chopped

Ginger paste.

1 tsp

Garlic.

3 cloves crushed

Curd. Milk

1/4 cup1/2 cup

Fresh Malai.

2 tbsp ( optional) *

Cream

2 tbsp.

Water

1/2cup

Salt to taste

Red chilly pd

1 tsp.

Milk or cream

1 tsp.

Spices :

Cinnamon

1" piece

Cloves

2

Peppercorn.

4

Green cardamom

5

Method:

Wash and soak overnight urad dal and Rajma in sufficient water.

Pressure cook them with little salt and 3cups of water for 4 whistles and then let it be on slow heat for 15 min.

Meanwhile heat oil and 2tbsp butter in a pan and add all the spices, stir .

A Must try !Bread making has always intrigued me. Always thought it would be a tough job, especially if you didn't have a bread maker. Foccaccia , appeared to be an interesting preparation. My tendency to try new and difficult things forced me to try Foccaccia . I read several recipes on the net and also in cookbooks and this is a mish-mash of all the knowledge that I collected about baking a Foccaccia .It turned out to be an amazing experience. Before it cooled completely , half was gobbled up by my family. You can play with the toppings based on your liking.Gives one loaf measuring 8 by 12, serves 4 to 5.

Ingredients :

Flour

3 cups

Salt.

2tsp

Sugar

2tsp.

Dry active yeast

2 tsp

Water

1 cup

Olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp

Oregano

1 tsp

Thyme.

1 tsp

extra
olive oil for brushing the dough.

Topping
:

Onion.

1 chopped

Garlic.

1 tsp crushed

Olive.

10 halved

Garlic

5 -6 cloves thinly sliced.

olive oil

1 tbsp.

Method:

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and let it sit for 10 min. It will froth up.

Mix flour, thyme oregano and salt in a big bowl.

Make a hole in the centre of flour and pour yeast mixture and oil into it.

Knead well till everything comes together. You may have to add a couple of tablespoons of water more depending on your flour' s soaking capacity.

Next knead the dough on a floured counter for 7-10 min. , depending on your strength.

The dough by this time would become smooth and pliable.

Keep it in an oiled bowl, roll it over to smear oil all over. Cover it with cling film and let it rest till doubled. Will take 1 to 2 hours depending on weather.

Take the dough out on the floured counter and punch it to release all the trapped air.

Knead it again for a couple of minutes.

Stretch it a rectangle of 1/4 inch thickness and carefully place it on a well greased baking tray.

Don't forget to place a greaseproof paper on the baking tray first.

Cover it with a cling film and let it rest for 30-40 min.

Meanwhile take a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic chips till golden and crisp. Keep them aside. In the same oil caramelise onions and crushed garlic.

Now make dimple all over the dough say one inch apart. Brush Olive oil generously over the dough.

Press olives and crispy garlic in the dimples that you just made on the dough.

Spread caramelised onion and garlic over the dough and press it lightly.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on it. You can sprinkle coarse salt also if you like.

Bake it in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 20 min or till the crust turns golden on the sides.

It can be served with soup or pasta . First time I served it with Veg Chili Corn Carne.First time ? Yeah I have already made it twice in 4 days. Second time I served it with pasta. You can also slice it and make a sandwich.